New Mexico State volleyball:

TOP: The New Mexico State volleyball team waits for a serve from the Alumni team during the annual Alumni Match. Picture from left to right: Stephanie Ziegler, former Monument Valley standout Bradley Nash and Aleisha Coates.

SECOND FROM TOP: Former Monument Valley standout Bradley Nash will be an integral part of this year's New Mexico State volleyball team. Last season the Aggies were the Western Athletic Conference tournament champions.

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B
radley Nash communicates with a sense of humor.

She's quick to smile, quick to laugh. She cherishes her younger nieces and nephews. And, she's an intelligent athlete playing volleyball for New Mexico State University.

Last Saturday the Aggies commenced the season with the annual Alumni Match where the current NMSU squad swept the Alumni in straight sets, winning 25-16, 25-22, 25-16.

To make things a little more interesting, they played an extra set with the NMSU team winning 24-23.

Nash helped out with 5 kills on 19 hits and finished with a .105 hitting percentage. She also added 7 digs and a block.

On Friday, Aug. 30, the Aggies will begin their official volleyball season with Nevada at the California Golden Bears Tournament in Berkeley, Calif.

"I'm really excited and I think our team has a lot of potential," said Nash referring to the season opener. "We finally get to play against someone other than ourselves and it's a big test for us."

As the 2012 Western Athletic Conference tournament champions, NMSU is projected to win the league this year by seven out of the nine conference coaches.

"We want to win the tournament again and make it deeper into the NCAA tournament. It's kind of a stepping-stone," said Nash.

While attending Monument Valley High School, Nash lead her volleyball team to four consecutive appearances in the state championship, including three state titles.

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During her senior year at MV, her team finished the season with an undefeated record of 40-0.

As an Aggie, Nash ended up receiving a medical redshirt during her freshman year after she tore a ligament in her left knee in the first game of the season.

After rehabilitation, she returned her sophomore year and played periodically.

Despite the injury, Nash ended up playing 98 sets last year. She had 118 kills, 358 points, 65 blocks, 9 service aces and 99 digs. During the WAC tournament, she earned a starting spot for the team.

When asked about how her knee is doing, she smiled and said, "We're good to go."

As an outside hitter, Nash gets a lot of swings at the ball since she is one of the most solid hitters on the team. But the part she relishes the most is on the defensive end.

"I really like to stop people," she said. "There's a satisfaction I get from taking away people's kills."

"I get satisfaction from taking away other people's satisfaction!" she added jokingly.

In addition to volleyball, Nash is in her third year at the school majoring in biochemistry. After she graduates she has loose plans to enter pharmacy school.

"I've played sports my whole life. So budgeting my studies, practice, games and traveling, have always been a part of what I do," said Nash responding to a question about how she balances school and academics. "You have to be cognizant about what you do with the time you have."

Desiree Scott, who was selected to the 2013 Preseason All-WAC Team, had this to say about Nash, "Overall, she's a tremendous player. I think she has the heart to play volleyball and definitely the knowledge to play volleyball. That makes her a really dynamic player."